Mark Vogel Acquisitions v. Prince George's County - Racial Discrimination

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the District of Maryland's dismissal of racial discrimination claims brought by Mark Vogel and his companies against Prince George's County, Maryland. The court upheld dismissal of claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983, and 1985(3), finding the complaint contained only conclusory assertions of disparate treatment without sufficient factual matter to state a plausible claim for relief under Ashcroft v. Iqbal and Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly standards.

Piscitelli v. GitLab, Inc. - Title VII Employment Discrimination

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of Brian Piscitelli's Title VII claims against GitLab, Inc. The court rejected Piscitelli's argument that the district court should have applied the Tenth Circuit's modified prima facie test for religious discrimination, finding it conflicts with Fourth Circuit precedent. The plaintiff alleged religious discrimination after being terminated for security clearance lapse while seeking COVID-19 vaccine religious accommodation.

Wolf Run Mining Company v. Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs - Black Lung Benefits

The Fourth Circuit denied Wolf Run Mining Company's petition for review of a Benefits Review Board decision affirming an ALJ order awarding Black Lung benefits to miner Harold Baisden. The court found no legal error in the determination that the coal operator failed to rebut the statutory presumption that Baisiden's pneumoconiosis arose from coal mine employment. The petition was denied, preserving the benefits award.

Russell v. United States - Motion for New Trial Denied

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Russell's Fed. R. Crim. P. 33 motion for a new trial in a 1991 criminal case. The appeals court found no reversible error and denied Russell's motion for bail pending appeal. This unpublished per curiam opinion is not binding precedent in the circuit.

US v. Walker - Supervised Release Revocation Affirmed

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Timothy Abel Walker's revocation of supervised release and 36-month sentence of imprisonment with no further supervised release. Walker challenged the procedural and substantive reasonableness of the sentence, arguing the district court erred in finding violations for failing to make restitution payments and maintain employment. The appellate court applied abuse-of-discretion review and upheld the revocation.

AG Secures 22-Year Prison Sentence for Snapchat CSAM Predator

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured a 22-year prison sentence for Miguel Giraldo, 20, of Kissimmee, after his conviction on 20 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The defendant was arrested following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding CSAM uploaded to Snapchat, and forensic examination of his phone revealed additional files depicting abuse of children as young as two years old.

Virginia SB745 - Prohibited Restrictions on In-Network Referrals

Virginia enacted SB745 prohibiting health insurance carriers from prohibiting in-network providers from referring enrollees or specimens to any in-network clinical laboratory or pathology service provider, unless such referral would violate certain laws. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all health insurance carriers operating in Virginia.

SB742 exempts Planning District 19 from clutter removal rules

SB742 exempts Planning District 19 from clutter removal rules

Norfolk City Charter Amendment - Zoning Ordinance Conformity

Virginia Governor signed SB806 amending the City of Norfolk's charter to require that any property with a substantial negative impact on public health, safety, and welfare must conform to the city's zoning ordinance within a reasonable time specified by ordinance, with a mandatory minimum of two years. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate (40-0) and with strong House support (92-6) before receiving gubernatorial approval.

HB4020 Permit Denial Transparency Requirements

Oregon HB4020 was signed into law by Governor Kotek on April 7, 2026, requiring state agencies to provide written explanations for permit denials including the legal authority supporting each denial, and to supply applicants with guidance on how to contest adverse decisions. The Act also mandates that certain agencies develop Key Performance Measures to track the timeliness of permit processing and issuance.